North Carolina girl's foot amputated after being chopped up under dad's lawnmower

A North Carolina schoolgirl's foot was forced to be amputated after a freak accident led to her slipping and getting caught in a lawnmower.

Ashtynn Sawyers, 7, was playing outside in a padding pool with her three siblings when she decided to run towards her father, Wes Sawyers, who was mowing the front lawn with a ride-on lawnmower. Ashtynn, still wet from playing in the water, slipped and got caught under the lawnmower blade, severing her foot.

Her terrified father transported her to the nearest hospital where doctors tried their best to save her right foot. Despite multiple surgeries doctors were forced to amputate it due to the extensive nature of her injuries.

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Ashtynn's mother, Jodie, was at the mall getting her nails done during the incident. She said her husband acted quickly, making sure Ashytnn was only under the lawnmower blade "for a second."

"I got a phone call while I was at the mall to say there'd been an accident and to meet us at the hospital but everything's going to be okay," she recalled.

The 7-year-old remained in hospital for six weeks following the ordeal as doctors did all they could to save her foot.

"The blade had completely chopped up the bottom of her right foot. The top looked pretty normal but it was the heel and bottom that was torn up," Jodie said. "They tried to save her foot. They said it was saveable at first that's why she had so many surgeries and was in the hospital for so long but ultimately they couldn't save it."

Jodie said doctors were not sure why the surgeries did not salvage her daughter's foot , and that the brave schoolgirl was terrified throughout the ordeal.

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"They don't know why the surgery didn't work. The skin flap surgery wouldn't take, they took an artery from her left leg and attached it to the bottom of her foot," Jodie said. "She asked if she was going to die, which was hard. It was horrible to see. You never want anything like this to happen to your child."

But despite early fears her daughter has now adapted well to her new reality and Jodie wants to spread awareness about the dangers of lawnmowers.

"We were worried about how she would adapt to life with one foot and how other people would treat her but she's adapted to life great," the proud mom said. "She runs around everywhere. Her injury doesn't slow her down in any way. Everyone treats her wonderfully. Wes definitely felt guilty after and struggled to deal with it. We're just glad the injuries weren't worse."

"I was actually paranoid around lawnmowers before this. I never thought something like this would happen with them just playing in the yard," she added. "One of our friends mows our lawn now and the kids all have to stay inside when it's out. It's made us a lot more nervous."

"I always tell other parents to be careful. You always think it won't happen to you. We feel so grateful it wasn't worse - we were scared we were going to lose her."